How to Train Your Cat as a Therapy Cat (Plus, This Therapy Cat Plays Dress-Up!)

“A therapy animal has been trained specifically to do therapy work, including providing comfort and support. They have passed an evaluation that specifically tests for skills suitable to work in therapy environments,” explained Haylee Bergeland, CPDT-KA, RBT and Founder and Executive Director at Iowa Human-Animal Bond Society.

Therapy animals are allowed to go to public places such as schools, nursing homes, and hospitals within the community to provide comfort for their humans. But it must be noted that these animals are not allowed to go with you anywhere, such as in your workplace, a hotel, or restaurant. Their rights and privileges are similar to those of regular pets, not service animals.

On the other hand, Bergeland elaborated that an emotional support animal does not require training like a therapy animal. Their purpose is to provide therapeutic benefits to their human owners, such as keeping them company. In some states, emotional support animals are permitted to go to some public places depending on the health condition of their human companion.

Further, there’s also a significant difference among therapy animals, emotional support animals, and service animals that provide help to persons with disabilities. Under the American with Disabilities Act, only dogs and some miniature horses are allowed to become service animals.

How about cats? Are they good to be therapy animals?

The answer is yes in numerous situations, says Daily Paws! According to the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), “contact with cats offers many of the same therapeutic benefits as contact with dogs.”

Among these benefits are:

• Improved heart health
• Lesser pain and stress
• Better immunity
• Lesser symptoms of depression and other mood and behavioral disorders
• Minimized feelings of loneliness
• Becoming more sociable
• Owners tend to laugh more, which levels up the release of “feel good” chemicals in the brain such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.

But how do you get a therapy cat? Are they for sale?

Elisabeth Van Every, senior communications specialist and managing editor for Pet Partners in Bellevue, Washington, explained on Daily Paws that there are organizations that can help cat owners in training their pets to become therapy animals. Among these organizations are Animals 4 Therapy, Pet Partners, and Wags for Hope. There are requirements for participation in this type of training program, such as vaccinations, neutering/spaying, and age.

Of course, as an owner, it’s you who can assess if your cat has what it takes to be a therapy animal. If so, there are several things you need to do:

• You must familiarize your cat with different places and with meeting new people.
• You must begin training your cat to be comfortable and confident in donning a harness and a leash.
• Your cat must also get used to regular baths and grooming to ensure the safety of every visit.

Van Every emphasized the necessity of the bond between owner and her pet. She explained, “A handler knows their cat’s body language and preferences, advocates for his welfare, and can ensure visits are safe and pleasant for everyone. And work with them consistently on responding to cues. Therapy cats need to be able to leave enticing items alone — such as food, toys, wastebaskets, and such — when given a cue to do so. They also learn to stay comfortably on a lap when placed there and to minimize vocalizing upon request.”

If you want to learn about the meaning of a cat’s body language, here are more cues from Daily Paws:

• Stressed Cat. Displays an arched back and raised hair. Other usual signals are dilated pupils, ear movements, and tail swishing.
• Hunting Cat. Signs include scratching, play biting in a predatory way, chirping, and ankle ambush.
• Fearful Cat. Urinating on a vertical surface to mark it and soothe his nerves is among the signs of a scared kitty. It also tends to use its claws in defense while also yowling, spitting, or hissing before it bites.
• Affectionate Cat. Shows feelings by headbutting in order to share its scent with the person she loves. Meowing is another sign to lovingly greet you, communicate, or call your attention. Other affectionate behaviors are slow blinking, belly displaying, and kneading, whether on your skin or a blanket, the way a kitten does when it nurses on its mom.

In this viral video on Tiktok, a therapy cat named Summer takes a break from her duties for a surprise. Her fur mom took her out for a fabulous day at Marshall’s!

Fabulous! That’s the right word to describe Summer’s look and outfit during her photo shoot!

Commenters on Tiktok were overwhelmed with delight and admiration upon seeing the therapy cat-turned-fashionista:

From Morgan Rex: “This is an outfit the mama in aristocats would wear!!”

From Pirate: “I can’t believe she is real; she’s like a fairytale or a painting.”

From Mars system: “You can hear her purring once it was on.”

From tots 🖤: “She’s beauty, she’s grace 💖💅”

@summersamba

I can’t believe this cat dress came from Marshall’s! It’s so fancy and it duits Summer perfectly! She purrs like crazy every time I’ve put it on her. #marshallsfinds #catdressedup #fancycat #fyp

♬ Merry-Go-Round – from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ – Joe Hisaishi